AYER HITAM: MCA and Barisan Nasional do not usually put "parachute candidates" to contest and this has been the strong point for the party to remain chosen by the people, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
The MCA president said that anyone can speculate who will be a candidate in the coming 15th General Election (GE15) for the Johor Barisan Nasional seats, but the final decision will only be known in the coming announcement on Nov 3.
Any last-minute changes are normal as Barisan had gone through this process for decades in a harmonious environment, the MCA president added.
“If you ask a hundred people where Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein will contest, I am sure all of them will answer in Sembrong. But the final decision will only be known on Nov 3, so let's wait for that announcement, which is less than a week from now.
“Of course, sometimes some speculation might be true, but there are also times where there are changes in strategies even before the Nomination Day itself, but as long as this is done in a harmonious situation, there is no issue,” he told reporters after the Bantuan Lesen Memandu Keluarga Malaysia (BLKM) closing ceremony at SMK Suria, Parit Raja, here on Saturday (Oct 29).
Dr Wee said this when asked to comment on the recent Barisan candidate name list which listed his name to contest in the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat.
Asked about the progress on seat negotiations among the Barisan coalition, he added that everything has been going smoothly and the election machinery is ready to be mobilised.
“We will wait for the announcement, and as of now, we are ready to do what needs to be done, to give our best to the people and let them decide what is best for them,” he added.
Asked to comment on DAP’s decision to place Johor DAP vice-chairman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali to contest Ayer Hitam, Dr Wee said that he has no power to stop anyone from coming and contesting for the seat.
“We will welcome anyone who comes, regardless of whether it is Sheikh Umar, Tony Pua or even Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong himself, because at the end of the day, the people will decide for themselves who has been with them through all this time.
"I am actually quite surprised because he (Liew) had promised that he would contest here again, but now he has run away to contest another seat," he said, adding that what concerned him now were the Opposition's tactics in the coming days.
“During the pandemic, when the Health Department reported over 100 cases in Yong Peng, we are the ones who actually got out and placed 58 food banks at several surau all over the area, consistently and not as a one-off aid.
“Where did they (Opposition) go during that time?,” he said, adding that he is confident in the election machinery in Ayer Hitam that had worked tirelessly until today.
On the BLKM programme, Dr Wee said that 107 people had received their licences on Saturday.
He added that the BLKM initiative, launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on March 13, 2022, was aimed at helping the B40 group get B2 class driving licences.
"Since becoming Transport Minister, the thing that always played on my mind was how to help the people in need, how to protect them.
"Imagine if an accident occurs and the victim doesn't have a driving licence, wouldn't it make it harder to file insurance claims? That is why this initiative exists," the caretaker Transport Minister said.
Dr Wee added that in addition to helping the B40 group, BLKM also benefitted the Orang Asli community who had difficulty attending classes at driving training centres to obtain the B2 class driving licence.
